Taxi Fares

My take on this is that cities which encourage positive environmental practice through the use of bikes and public transportation reflect higher prices because the demand for taxis is low. Vienna, for example. Excellent and efficient public transport, free bikes = not the need for regular taxi use. Heck, I can probably count on two hands the number of times in 10 years I have taken a taxi in Vienna. Love I don't have to rely on cars here.

My take on this is that cities which encourage positive environmental practice through the use of bikes and public transportation reflect higher prices because the demand for taxis is low

And stock prices rise because no one is buying them?

I wouldn't rely on this list too much since it includes 2 UK cities and doesn't explain what exactly a taxi is in the UK.
1. "Taxi" - the vehicle has a sign saying TAXI, probably on the roof. Has a legal status of "Hackney Carriage" (goes way back to the horse drawn 2 seater cabs with driver sat high at back on the outside, as per old Sherlock Holmes movies). These are highly regulated, especially in London. Fares are metered and set by local licensing authority, usually by a complex matrix which varies by time of day. And this is almost always published on the local authority website. From which I can calculate that 3km in London daytime without traffic delays (which can be charged as extra) is around $11.00. Evening is more, night is yet more. Certain surcharges such as luggage can apply. Edinburgh is cheaper at around $7.00 daytime.
2. "Mini cab" - confusing name because they are seldom smaller. Legal name "Private Hire", this will probably appear on the vehicle but as stickers on the body and passenger doors, not on the roof. Subject to some regulation of terms and drivers (eg criminal records check) but fares not regulated OR METERED. Often cheaper than taxis especially at night, and almost always the best idea for an airport journey which would often be over 10 miles. Cannot be hailed on street or picked up at cab ranks, must be pre-booked with operator, go to the office or telephone - even a few minutes before is fine but without pre-booking it is not legal or insured. Local hotels etc. will know the reliable ones, or check Yellow Pages (fakes don't list themselves!). Vehicles will have a local authority badge or plate, often next to the rear licence plate.
3. Uber. Legally they should be licenced as "Private Hire" but there are issues in some places. Because they don't need to advertise their phone numbers all over the vehicle some have been found to be operating without a licence. Which also means the criminal record checks etc etc. Or they register in a slack authority and then go and operate miles away in an area they don't know (and aren't known in). In some cases they operate as both mini cab and Uber at different prices (if you found their phone number and booked direct they don't have to pay Uber!). London Uber got well deserved bad press after the recent London Bridge terror attack, licenced taxi drivers were shuttling people away from the scene for free, Uber adopted higher surge pricing!!

So any simple list which mentions fares in the UK is probably not worth bothering with - which begs the question of how reliable it is elsewhere.

As for Emily's rather novel views on economics, I think the prices are more likely to be linked to the cost of living in each city.

The way I see it, taxis drivers have less business so they charge more for each ride. Never said I was an economist. Gas is also expensive here.

Its interesting what sets some folks off. I just posted it for fun. Like I said, I wouldnt count on this being particullarly accurate.

Besides all the shades of grey like th UK, some towns are heavily regulated and price controlled, like Budapest for instance, which despite the bike services and excellent transportation system is half the cost of Vienna. Others like Moscow don't appeat to have any enforced regulatiom and taxi rates appear to be some sort of betting game.

Of course it wasn't intended to be an environmental thesis or a lesson in the results of failed economic reasoning.

At 75, the bike isn't much of an option and the majority of the world's public transport isn't accessible to individuals with physical limitations (Emily, do all the trams and busses have wheel chair lifts and does every metro station have an elevator?) so maybe the cost of a taxi is a concern to those less fortunate than ...

Each "official" taxi market is regulated so that the barriers to entry are high (think medallions) and there is some "optimum" supply of cabs so that each driver can ideally make a living wage (the influx of unregulated ride-sharing services, Ubers, Lyfts, and such into the market totally dilutes this principle). Living wages will vary for all professions in different cities, taxi cabs included...so no surprises that you see differences across cities. Drivers don't charge more because the demand is less - that makes no economic sense. They have to cover their costs or they won't make any money. When their circumstances get out of hand and they're hurting (like when the gas prices exploded years ago), they lobby the cab commission to alter the fare structures to boost their incomes. Their fares are pretty much set unless they're not using meters or fare zones. There's no direct relationship between cab fares and whether cities have alternative public transport systems - the two systems can prosper side by side. That's not the same as saying that taxis aren't impacted by (cheaper) alternatives, but that there's still a market for cabs by folks who need a more flexible (but costlier) way to shuttle themselves and their luggage.

In answer to your comment, James, yes, in many places in the world (that you're likely to travel to), public transit is indeed accessible. Not all impaired or older folks have wheelchairs that need to be accommodated.

James - I had in my mind you were in your 50s. Not sure why. To answer your question, yes all stations in Vienna have elevators and all tram and bus lines have low floor/wheelchair/stroller access.

It is quite common for private hire vehicles in the UK to have taximeters, although not obligatory they tend to be used for shorter distances, with a longer distance being at a fixed predetermined cost. It is London which for unfathomable reasons of its own don't allow them. As well as using the term minicab.

As part of planning any trip to Europe, do I factor taxi rates when crafting an itinerary? Nope. Yawn.

Emily,

Despite someone's comment that:

"Not all impaired or older folks have wheelchairs that need to be accommodated."

I think it's a huge testament to the citizens that Vienna has gone trough the expense to provide accessible accommodations on their public systems. After your post I did a little reading and Vienna is pretty much at the top of the pack in such measures. It's something that merits mention in the forum, as not all that come to the forum are young and spry.

In my favorite European city the situation isn't near as good and taxis become more valuable.